Citizens of the Rio Grande Valley were invited to "stand in solidarity with all people affected by police violence" at Archer Park in McAllen, TX, on July 16th, 2016. The Facebook event page for "RGV for Black Lives: Solidarity March and Vigil" explains that "time and again, the occupants of Black and Brown bodies are robbed of their dignity as their executions are broadcasted for the world to see, and rarely are those responsible for their murders held accountable or brought to justice."
When asked for his thoughts on what I called a "growing trend of racial injustice," event organizer Ohireime Eromosele corrected me by explaining that "though the ability to record police officers is something that's relatively new, the violence that the Black Americans have experienced from police over the years is not new."
He then continued to show his enthusiasm on the event he and his siblings had organized.
"We've heard about a lot of negative feedback, but that pales in comparison to the huge amount of moral support we've received. We really expect a great turnout."
Many of the attendees used the hashtag #RGV4BLM to share their experiences over social media sites, uploading videos of the event's speakers and photos of both the supporting crowd and the disruptive counter-protesters.
The next evening, “Stronger Together: Solidarity for #BlackLivesMatter” took place at Washington Park in Brownsville, TX, where event headliners Sadie Hernandez and Antonio Castillo encouraged the gathered "Brown People for Black Power" to start the conversation on racial equality in their community.
"All lives won't be able to matter until black lives do," Hernandez stated, before directing the audience's focus toward finding ways for "brown people to come together... and stand in solidarity without speaking over black people."
The megaphone was then turned over to anyone who wanted to share their thoughts on combating racism. One of the attendees, Yolanda Garza-Birdwell, delivered a passionate short message.
"Estoy bien orgullosa. Después de vivir seis años aquí, es la primera demostración que veo del asunto de racismo. Es la primer vez, hasta ser me ganas de llorar porque hemos sido oprimidos también, y debemos estar... bien unidos por nuestros hermanos negros."
She expressed her thoughts on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and how his campaign has given minorities a legitimate reason to stand together and speak in their own defense.
"Este hombre, el señor que anda corriendo de candidato para presidente de los EE.UU. que es republicano, nos a llamado muchos nombres que no debemos estar callados. We must not be silent to racism. We are victims of racism. African-Americans are victims of racism!"
"I don't know if I made a good decision to become a citizen of the United States," Mrs. Garza-Birdwell concluded. "This is a very racist society, and it has to stop!"
Both events were able to accomplish their goals without falling into chaos, as many online critics assumed would happen. The McAllen and Brownsville organizers would frequently "assert a strict non-engagement policy with opposition," meaning retaliation toward counter-protestors on behalf of event supporters would not be tolerated.
The Black Lives Matter movement will continue, organizing events to raise awareness and inviting aware citizens to speak against racial discrimination and police brutality, not only against Black Americans, but against everyone.
In Mr. Eromosele's words, "the plague and real tragedies that are brought on by state-sanctioned violence, by police brutality, they are not exclusive to black people. 'Black lives matter' doesn't mean that only black lives matter. It's just that a disproportionate number of us are being treated differently by our law enforcement. The reach of that violence can befall anyone of any color, of any creed, of any background, and we shouldn't wait for people to become victims before we are proactive."
The megaphone was then turned over to anyone who wanted to share their thoughts on combating racism. One of the attendees, Yolanda Garza-Birdwell, delivered a passionate short message.
"Estoy bien orgullosa. Después de vivir seis años aquí, es la primera demostración que veo del asunto de racismo. Es la primer vez, hasta ser me ganas de llorar porque hemos sido oprimidos también, y debemos estar... bien unidos por nuestros hermanos negros."
She expressed her thoughts on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and how his campaign has given minorities a legitimate reason to stand together and speak in their own defense.
"I don't know if I made a good decision to become a citizen of the United States," Mrs. Garza-Birdwell concluded. "This is a very racist society, and it has to stop!"
Both events were able to accomplish their goals without falling into chaos, as many online critics assumed would happen. The McAllen and Brownsville organizers would frequently "assert a strict non-engagement policy with opposition," meaning retaliation toward counter-protestors on behalf of event supporters would not be tolerated.
The Black Lives Matter movement will continue, organizing events to raise awareness and inviting aware citizens to speak against racial discrimination and police brutality, not only against Black Americans, but against everyone.
In Mr. Eromosele's words, "the plague and real tragedies that are brought on by state-sanctioned violence, by police brutality, they are not exclusive to black people. 'Black lives matter' doesn't mean that only black lives matter. It's just that a disproportionate number of us are being treated differently by our law enforcement. The reach of that violence can befall anyone of any color, of any creed, of any background, and we shouldn't wait for people to become victims before we are proactive."
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